Poem: I’m Me

 

What is it, exactly

They just can’t see?

For when they look –

They look through me

Beyond me

And around me.

Are they afraid to trace

The gentle curve of my smile?

To see in the depths of my eyes?

What are they afraid

They’ll see?

A reflection of themselves…

Perhaps their worn expression,

Or their disappointed faces –

That the façade peels

It cracks and fades

And betrays

Their carefully painted canvas

Where intimacy is lacking

And they seek

Neither to know themselves

Nor the world around them,

Their sole desire – to swiftly

Ride into that sunset

Like eager, perfect-smiling showmen

Look at me

Look at what I have amassed

Look at what I’ve accomplished

And for all the shortage of clout

In hold in my two hands,

I looked at everyone

With unabashed eyes

Seeking their distinctive smile

Hoping for

The veracity in their song.

I struggled alone

Through the weight of my days

Under the crippling expectation

Of a counterfeit smile

I was real

I was real

I was me.

 

© Sumyanna 2018

 

Gorgeous image courtesy of Pixabay.com